An interferometric modulator is a class of MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) devices which have been described and documented in a variety of patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,835,255, 5,986,796, 6,040,937, 6,055,090, and U.S. Pending patent application Ser. Nos. 09/966,843, 09/974,544, 10/082,397, 10/084,893, and 10/878,282, herein incorporated by reference. One of the key attributes of these devices is the fact that they are fabricated monolithically using semiconductor-like fabrication processes. Specifically, these devices are manufactured in a sequence of steps which combine film deposition, photolithography, and etching using a variety of techniques. More detail on these processes is described in patent application Ser. No. No. 10/074,562 filed on Feb. 12, 2002, and herein incorporated by reference.